Sunday, October 08, 2017

My house is a number of decades old now, and one of the things I have always liked about it is its open floor plan in the kitchen and dining area. At some point, the previous owners knocked out the wall separating the tiny galley kitchen from what was then the living room. When we moved in, it was logical for us to make that ex-living room into our dining area. My stepfather put in a chandelier to light the space, and it's been great.

Except for the lack of cupboards and counters.

The problem with knocking out that wall is that we lost all that storage and food prep space. We have been living with a tiny kitchen island which worked well when we moved into our first apartment together. We also didn't have a dishwasher, and after a big holiday dinner, we always had an overflow of dishes. Then we got a portable dishwasher, which, while adding a bit of "counter" space, just sat in our kitchen looking out of place.

For years, I have hunted the Internet for a kitchen island (or a kitchen island plan) that makes a portable dishwasher (which you can pull out and hook up to your sink tap) look like a built-in.

There is no such monster.

Not to be denied, I started sketching. After much discussion and many years of back-burnering the plan, we are finally, finally building the kitchen island I have always wanted. Lumber Liquidators had the perfect size butcher block top, already cut, to fit the island I designed. So nice of them to read my mind like that!

Hubby set to work hashing out the measurements to fit what I needed it to do. He and our son industriously sawed, drilled, painted, and stained, and this is the end result. The butcher block has to be treated several times with a food-grade mineral oil, but the nice thing about it is you can cut and prep food right on the surface, and butcher block is far less expensive than stone or granite (and weighs a lot less, too, for which I'm sure our floors are grateful).

Wanna know the best part? Some of this lumber was sitting unused in our shed. It's made with T1-11 - the same stuff we used to build our shed! It looks beautifully rustic, like shiplap. I will have to buy some taller counter stools (bar height), but I love it. What do you think? Do my boys get a gold star?

Wednesday, October 04, 2017

I'm happy to announce that I will now offer the option of credit card payments at my book signings via the Square card reader (including chip cards!). This will allow readers to pay any way they like at my signings, so you can enjoy my books your way! I'll be rolling this feature out at my signing on October 21st at Baldwinsville Public Library, where I will be signing books 12:00pm-3:00pm EST with many, many local authors. It's also a great chance to grab some yummy free chocolate and enter for a shot at my giveaway:

This sweet little gift box comes packed with goodies for the writer in your life, even if it's just jotting down a quick note or items for the grocery list!

Join us October 21st for a chat on writing, then browse our books while enjoying some chocolate. I hope to see you there!

Sunday, October 01, 2017

I have yet to be disappointed by Syracuse Stage's performances. Of the several I have seen, I have always found something to like, and even love, about them. Theater is an ephemeral and intimate art, more so than film or books. Each performance will be slightly different, building on and reacting to the mood and response of its audience. It's a symbiotic magic where the viewer gets to help shape the play as it is being acted out.

Set Magic

No less wonderful are the set designs. As theaters go, Syracuse Stage is a smallish venue, with its largest stage, Archbold Theater, comprising some 499 seats—but the scale of their plays is impressive. So it was with The Three Musketeers, adapted by Catherine Bush from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, and directed by Robert Hupp. The set is so intricate and beautiful that it is, itself, a character in the play. It features a gorgeous pair of staircases with a pavilion on top and two doors at the bottom. Rather than intensive set changes between scenes, the play relies on
prop changes against this backdrop to instill a new sense of atmosphere for each scene. The beauty of a well-done set is its ability to help tell the story without anyone saying a word, and it's my favorite thing about theater. You have to see this set to believe it.

The Talent

I was pleased to see Matthew Greer (Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery) as Athos, and he is as excellent in his role and onstage presence in "Musketeers" as he was in playing Holmes. Travis Staton-Marrero debuts at Syracuse Stage in his performance as D'Artagnan, a young Frenchman longing to join the famed Musketeers. He does a terrific job, and he bounds around the set with such gusto that my knees hurt just watching him. Don't forget to keep an eye on Claro Austria (Planchet), who very nearly stole everyone else's thunder.

A Sneak Peek

Before the play, I was privileged to hear director Robert Hupp speak about the moving parts that go into such a big production. Each actor has to be licensed in stage combat, an important consideration when one is lunging around at another person with a sharp, pointy object. The result of such training is a fight scene in which several pairs of actors whirl around the stage, battling madly, without unintentionally hurting one another. It makes for exciting action, and the only wounds are those incurred in the fictional storyline. Take a look!

The Three Musketeers runs September 20th-October 8th.Tickets are a reasonable $20.00-$53.00, depending on show features, time, and day of performance.

It's book signing time again! This month, I'll be at Baldwinsville Public Library with many other authors for a great big party, and you're invited!

Join me and my fellow authors 12:00pm-3:00pm EST for a discussion about writing, as well as treats and giveaways for you and your friends. Come visit me at my table for a chance to win this pretty keepsake box filled with goodies for the writer in your life:

This keepsake box contains notecards, a magnetic memo pad, a notebook, pencils, and chocolates to sweeten your fall season. No purchase is necessary. Just visit me to fill out a ticket for your chance to take this pretty prize pack home. The winner will be drawn at random, and must be present at the end of the book signing. Hope you can make it, because it's going to be a great time!

NEW FROM NICKI

About Me

Nicki Greenwood graduated SUNY Morrisville with a degree in Natural
Resources, which of course has nothing to do with writing novels. She
has also worked in a bakery, an insurance agency, a flower shop, and a
doctor's office, which have nothing to do with writing, either. She did
spend an awesome two years as an assistant editor for a publisher, and
now does freelance editing on the side. Nicki still holds down a day
job, which manages to get her out of the house once in a while. Since
2010, she has written eight novels, including the award-winning Gifted
Series.

Nicki lives in upstate New York with her husband, son, and assorted
pets. If you can't find her at her computer, you can always try the
local Renaissance Faire.

The Critter List

Red Admiral Butterfly on Common DandelionPhoto (c) Nicki Greenwood. May not be used without express written permission.

About The Critter List

Nicki lives in a suburban neighborhood in Upstate NY. She enjoys creating habitat for wildlife of all kinds, especially birds and pollinators. Below is a list of species confirmed either by visual ID, or in the case of birds, occasionally their songs. This list is proof that if you do away with pesticides, even a residential area can be full of wildlife for you and your family to enjoy!

The Critter List

American Crow

American Goldfinch

American Robin

Barred Owl

Black-Capped Chickadee

Blue Jay

Cabbage White Butterfly

Canada Goose

Carpenter Bee

Cherry-Faced Meadowhawk Dragonfly

Citrine Forktail Damselfly

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly

Common Eastern Bumblebee

Common Grackle

Cricket

Dark-Eyed Junco

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Eastern Gray Squirrel

European Starling

Giant Swallowtail Butterfly

Gray Catbird

Great Blue Heron

Groundhog

Honeybee

House Finch

House Sparrow

Mallard

Monarch Butterfly

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Mourning Dove

Northern Cardinal

Pileated Woodpecker

Potter Wasp

Question Mark Butterfly

Red Admiral Butterfly

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Song Sparrow

Turkey Vulture

Indoor Plants List

Compact Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata 'Compacta')Photo (c) Nicki Greenwood. May not be used without express written permission.

About the Indoor Plants List

Did you know the air quality inside your home is worse than the air outside? In addition to carbon dioxide, there are toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene off-gassing into your home from the many fixtures and finishes inside it. What can you do?

Add plants! Indoor plants act like living filters, removing toxins from the air. In return for a little TLC, they provide better air quality, reduce stress, improve health and sleep, and give you something fresh and green to look at when it's snowy or stormy outside. Here are some of the hardy specimens Nicki has grown in her home. The require little more than occasional watering and proper lighting. (A quick Internet search will help you care for these plants in your own home.)